SAT Scores Soaring in Pleasanton and Danville, Dublin and Livermore High Schools Continue to Struggle
Based on the latest data available from the California Department of Education (CDE), Tri-Valley students from high schools in Pleasanton, Danville, and San Ramon, CA, have significantly outperformed those from high schools in Dublin and Livermore, CA, on the SAT Reasoning Test (SAT). This observation is consistent with the trend in API and the trend in AP exam scores for Tri-Valley high schools. SAT results for 2008-2009 reveal that Dublin High School students scored lower on average than students at Livermore High School and Granada High School. Additionally, students at Dublin High School have progressively scored lower on the SAT each school year from 2005-2006 to 2008-2009.
The SAT is a standardized test used by nearly all college admissions throughout the United States to evaluate a student’s college readiness. Owned, published, and developed by the College Board, the SAT consists of three distinct sections that objectively measure the critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills of the students. Each year, more than two million students take the SAT.
SAT scores are arguably the most reliable measure of a high school’s ability to prepare its students for college. The scores from each of the three sections can range from 200 to 800, so the maximum total score is 2400. Since the average score for each section is roughly 500, the average total score is about 1500. Nearly all traditional four-year colleges require SAT scores as part of the application process for high school students.
In general, most high school students must achieve a combined SAT score of at least 1500 for admissions into the mid-tier colleges. To be considered by the top-tier colleges and universities like Stanford and MIT, students need a total score of at least 2000.
To determine how well the high schools are preparing students for college, the CDE uses the percentage of 12th grade students achieving a score of 1500 or higher as an objective indicator. Based on results from the 2008-2009 school year, the top three Tri-Valley high schools are Monte Vista High School (67%), Foothill High School (58%), and Amador Valley High School (58%).
Monte Vista High School has shown tremendous improvement in the 2007-2009 period with an average college eligibility percentage of 65% as compared to an already impressive 55% for the 2005-2007 period. The bottom three high schools are Livermore High School (26%), Dublin High School (28%), and Granada High School (34%). Livemore High School has been the lowest performer over the 2005-2009 period with an average college eligibility percentage of 28%. While all other Tri-Valley schools have shown improvement, Dublin High School’s college eligibility percentage has steadily declined over the past four school years.
In terms of the combined average SAT scores for 2008-2009, the top three schools are Foothill High School (1775), Monte Vista High School (1758), and Amador Valley High School (1710). Foothill High School pole vaulted over Monte Vista High School this past school year with a colossal 68 point increase in its average SAT score as compared to the 2007-2008 school year. The bottom three high schools are Dublin High School (1607), Livermore High School (1615), and Granada High School (1627). Dublin High School’s average SAT score over the 2005-2009 period is the lowest in the Tri-Valley at 1597.
Please visit http://www.collegeboard.com/ for more information about the SAT.
9:31 AM on July 21st, 2010
I finally realized why people are OK with having 1 crappy high school in Dublin. These are the same folks that have went through Dublin High and had the lowest school performance in the valley. So, there is no point in reasoning with them…they just won’t be able to understand that having choice is a good thing.
10:09 AM on July 21st, 2010
dublin would still look bad if you have a bad hs and an excellent hs. a second hs will never improve dhs. a second hs will never change the look of dublin.
11:14 AM on July 21st, 2010
I am very disappointed and depressed about these SAT results. Dublin’s reputation and property values continue to be seriously harmed by the low performance of Dublin High School. Even though I think it’s important for parents to know the truth about Dublin High’s SAT and AP test scores, I kind of wish there was some way to communicate this information to parents in Dublin without broadcasting to the rest of the world that Dublin is not the city for you if you want a great high school education for your kids. Many families with school-age children are already avoiding Dublin because of the high school. These latest test scores are only going to make matters worse.
Dublin High’s defenders keep shouting that Dublin HS is a top school. They claim that it only suffers from a misperceived reputation. They keep promising that its test scores will improve, but year after year after year it continues to underperform. This is the final straw. Last year was supposed to be the year of big improvements, then it was supposed to be this year. How much longer can they continue to promise that Dublin HS is improving, when its SAT scores and AP scores prove the opposite? You can only shout “just wait until next year” so many times before people stop believing you and realize that next year will just be more of the same.
Dublin High defenders appear to be counting on increasing numbers of affluent students to elevate the school’s performance, but that’s clearly not happening. For years I have been optimistic that Dublin HS would start seeing academic improvement as the kids from the more affluent and higher-educated families started attending. Sadly that has not occurred, as the SAT and AP scores show. From what I can see, many families interested in a superior education are leaving Dublin before their kids reach high school age, or else they are sending their kids elsewhere.
Parents care much more about students’ SAT and AP results than about a school’s API score. The API score can be boosted by “teaching to the test”, to the detriment of truly preparing students for college. District officials care most about API scores because that’s how they are evaluated, whereas they should really be evaluated on their college-prep performance as measured by SAT and AP scores. When it comes to college prep, Dublin HS sadly gets a “C-”.
11:35 AM on July 21st, 2010
Andrew, All the points you have made are very good. Our only hope is to make the charter school become a reality. Otherwise, I am moving out of Dublin before my kids are ready for high school.
11:57 AM on July 21st, 2010
Well written, Andrew Chang, if that’s your real name. Thanks for expressing what many parents in Dublin are thinking. It has become quite clear that Dublin needs a second high school with a new approach. I’ve been in favor of the proposed charter high school ever since it was announced last year, because I believe in school choice and the power of competition. Now I am even more in favor of Tassajara Prep because of Dublin High’s continually disappointing academic performance.
The only people I know that are opposed to Tassajara Prep are the very powerful and vociferous incumbents (DUSD and DHS faculty/parents/alumni), who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and can’t stand the idea of a competing high school that will very likely outperform Dublin High significantly and take away some of their power and control. But they are being very short-sighted. They don’t seem to understand that a public college prep high school in Dublin that accepts students from anywhere in the city will attract highly-educated families to all parts of Dublin. This will elevate the performance of elementary schools on the west side so that they will eventually excel like the elementary schools on the east side. This in turn will result in an increased flow of higher-performing students into Dublin HS. Or maybe they do understand that, but they are not willing to relinquish power over all public education in Dublin even though it would be for the common good.
I think the time is overdue for a huge shake-up in secondary education in Dublin. Please, Tassajara Prep founders, continue your noble efforts despite the shouts of anger and fear from Dublin High apologists with incumbent self-interests. I see that your organization is opening a new public college prep high school in Livermore next month. That’s great, and it shows us that it can be done, but please don’t waver in your efforts to open Tassajara Prep in 2012. I know that you are volunteering a huge amount of your time & expense in this effort simply as a community service. Well let me assure you that it is for the right cause. Dublin HS is not a college prep high school. I used to believe that it would become one by the time my kids reached high school. I’m now convinced that Dublin HS is not the school for my kids.
Dan
11:23 AM on July 21st, 2010
I am very disappointed to see that DHS is even underperforming high schools in Livermore in SAT scores, AP classes, etc. All these are very important for getting into good colleges (not community colleges).
John Z, do we have the data for the school year 2009-2010? DHS supporters always like to claim there would be a big jump. It would be interesting to see whether that is a lie.
12:31 PM on July 21st, 2010
To Anonymous 11:23 AM — The SAT scores that John Z reported in this article are the latest results just released by the California Department of Education. The 2009-2010 results will not be available until late spring 2011. Thus everyone is always talking about results that are at least a year old. That delay in reporting allows Dublin High defenders to claim every year that the data is outdated and that next year’s results will be much better. Go back and read previous articles about Dublin HS on Around Dublin and you will see frequent such protests by defenders. That’s what they said two years ago, that’s what they said last year, and that’s probably what they will say this year. It’s an easy thing to say because the future is always a year away for them. But as we can see, the truth is that Dublin High’s SAT scores are not getting better. They are, in fact, getting worse every year, according to CDE’s index of college eligibility for Dublin HS (37% three years ago, 30% two years ago, 29% last year, and 28% this year, an embarrassingly low rate).
We see the school district and OneDublin frequently bragging about Dublin High’s API score, AP test attempts, and the high percentage of graduates claiming that they will be going to college. Note that they never talk about Dublin High’s attrition rate, SAT scores or AP scores. It is very revealing that they are silent on those subjects.
Adeeb H
12:42 PM on July 21st, 2010
Thanks for the information, Adeeb H.
2:34 PM on July 21st, 2010
To Adeeb H — You are absolutely right! I just checked the old Around Dublin article about the 2007-2008 SAT scores and found the following comments from Dublin High defenders claiming that scores were improving:
From Rick Boster, Principal of Murray Elementary, on 3/23/10:
“Please realize this information and above graphic has been selected for political proposes…First, averaging the last four years worth of a school’s data, when a school has shown big gains in student achievement over the past two years, (one of which isn’t included in this old data on the CDE website), that school will always come up short.”
So Rick was claiming big gains in 2008-2009. Those claims have now been proven baseless. Plus now I’m hearing rumors that Rick Boster is leaving Murray Elementary and Dublin to take a job elsewhere. Is that because his low performing school may be closing in the next year or two?
From “Another Fallon Mom”, on 3/23/10:
“This kind of propaganda is baseless. The graph is a distorted view of 2005-2008, Dublin high is an improving school…Since last few years, Dublin high has done considerable improvements in its test scores. Dublin student demographics is now changing…We have seen improvement in Dublin since last couple of years once Fallon kids moved over…Please do not post these irrelevant facts and further denigrate Dublin high. This is irresponsible.”
From Anonymous on 3/31/10:
“I am a DHS student from East Dublin, and also ranked number 8 in my class. It is interesting because your statistics range from the years 2005 to 2008. However, in the past two years, DHS has been making remarkable improvements”
Do any of those three posters care to comment on the continuing decline of SAT rates at Dublin HS?
12:33 PM on July 21st, 2010
Hi Anonymous – we’ll check to see if/when 2009-2010 data is available.
Thx, John Z.
11:34 AM on July 21st, 2010
Students who could have been high-performing are getting dragged down, because they are not being challenged by peers and teachers. In many ways, it’s like being with someone who’s on hardcore drugs like crack and meth, which Dublin sees a lot of simply because it’s “at the crossroads” and is next to the Santa Rita prison. You think you will change that person for the better, but you end up taking the drugs yourself and becoming just as messed up. Parents are picking Dublin for its elementary schools in East Dublin. Once they are old enough for Fallon, that’s when they start to move away.
No one likes reading bad news, but clearly a lot of entrenched interests would like to shut down this blog and keep these data from getting out. Still, it’s amazing how the average home values of homes in the Tri-Valley correlate very closely to these charts. People know already, and even if John Z. does not publish these data, there is nothing he can do to change people’s perceptions. If he tries, he will simply lose credibility.
Of course, there is a silver lining. As long as Dublin High keeps cramming kids into AP classes and keep their SAT scores low, they will forever be in the Newsweek List. There is reason to celebrate after all.
11:54 AM on July 21st, 2010
I am quite amused when people keep talking up the Newsweek list and use that as a thin thread to hang on. But when it comes to the real deals, like SAT scores, AP scores, etc, they disregard them as meaningless statistics. It is as if DUSD/DHS/OD have brainwashed a lot of Dublin parents.
1:45 PM on July 21st, 2010
Here is an idea:
Can we put this info on a flyer…along with comparisons of San Ramon & Pleasanton demographics and school funding (per child, etc).
With this, we can pass it out to residents and spread the truth about the under-performance (and can’t blame demographics).
We just need a little budget for printing and volunteers to pass it down as many houses as we can. I’m sure enough people here will contribute.
Only when more people know about the truth is when action will be taken….
2:06 PM on July 21st, 2010
With all due respect, why don’t you take the lead if you think that’s the best approach? No offense, but I just don’t think killing trees is the best approach. I actually think this article has already spread like wild fire. Google “Dublin SAT scores” and you will pull up this article. I already shared it on Facebook and emailed to people who I think may be interested. That’s really the best way to get the information out.
2:21 PM on July 21st, 2010
A number of interesting points have been made regarding the test scores of schools and property values. Intuitively it does make some sense, but are there some figures around this illustrating empirical evidence either for Dublin or other cities (preferably ones in our area)?
One of the reasons we moved to Dublin recently was because of the outstanding pre-schools, elementary schools, and middle schools – namely the new Montessori on Brannigan, John Green and Fallon. We have almost nine years before we need to start considering high schools but have closely been following this and other blogs, and talking with our neighbors.
It seems like there are several options already such as Quarry Lane and now options in Livermore at their charter school which is closer to those of us on the Eastern side of Dublin than DHS and a reverse commute, and now it seems they outperform DHS so it’s a win-win. Then of course there is Tassajara Prep which seems to be highly contested – although I’m not sure why. Competing with each other is good – it’s good for our country, it’s good for business, it’s good for our schools and will make both schools better – that just seems like the American way to me.
I feel we are growing too soft on competition these days – medals for 6th place. Come on, in life there are no medals for 6th place; we need strong competitive students to help keep America a strong and competitive country. I’m all for positive reinforcement – but I also believe things need to be earned or else people become lazy and complacent, just looks at all the problems the ultra rich have with their children. More schools, more options, and more competition – the founding fathers would be proud.
I hope when my children are ready for high school we will have multiple options and be able to consider the pros and cons for each school. Yes SAT scores are important, as are AP classes and the like, but as everybody knows, that’s not the entire picture. Balance is: family, academics, arts, sports, social skills, volunteer work, being a kid, etc. I’d much sooner higher a well balanced individual than someone that is purely academic and doing differential equations in the fourth grade and completely lacks social skills.
2:29 PM on July 21st, 2010
I agree with most of what you said. There is nothing wrong with competition, and there is nothing wrong with red ink. My wife, when she was a grad student, was explicitly told by her professor not to use red ink when grading undergrad papers, because the professor was worried about hurting the students’ feelings.
3:28 PM on July 21st, 2010
Geez, sooner or later, US will become the same as Euro countries – no competition, very slow growth, lazy and laid-back workers, no future…
3:31 PM on July 21st, 2010
99 weeks of unemployment, almost free healthcare, amazing social programs, plenty of government cheese to go around. Only suckers need to work.
11:38 PM on July 21st, 2010
Brian wrote…
“Then of course there is Tassajara Prep which seems to be highly contested – although I’m not sure why.”
1. Tassajara Prep is opposed by the Dublin Unified School District. Almost every charter school in the state has been initially opposed by the local school district. School districts want absolute control over public school education. DUSD also feels that a desire by parents for a second high school in Dublin makes the district look bad, which threatens their jobs. The district also has a very large administrative overhead that is primarily paid for by per-student funds from the state. The more students at their schools, the easier it is to cover the huge admin costs. The district’s opposition to Tassajara Prep is not about what’s best for Dublin students, it’s about power, job security, reputation, and money.
2. Tassajara Prep is opposed by the teachers union. Charter schools are mostly non-union, so they are naturally opposed by teachers unions. Non-union schools offer many advantages. Honest teachers and district personnel will tell you how the unions have harmed public education. You can read all about it elsewhere. Some tenured faculty worry that the opening of non-union schools could threaten their job security, so they oppose charter schools.
3. Tassajara Prep is opposed by some parents of Dublin HS students and alumni. Their kids are not going to benefit directly from Tassajara Prep and they seem to have difficulty supporting something that will benefit other parents’ kids but not theirs. I also don’t think they like the idea that Dublin HS will be known as the second best high school in Dublin. They’d rather maintain the status quo (a single under-performing high school) for the sake of their kids’ school’s reputation. They are letting self-interest get in the way of doing what’s best for Dublin students.
4. The district found a Dublin HS parent with almost unlimited free time and pent-up aggression willing to do their dirty work for them. This includes attempting to demonize the charter school founders, threatening boycotts of Dublin small businesses, shouting down speakers at town hall meetings, rallying Dublin HS parents through fear and falsely claiming that charter school founders are insulting their kids and bashing Dublin HS, giving a self-important speech at a charter school board meeting threatening costly lawsuits, writing countless articles/emails/blog postings with bogus facts and statistics about how Dublin HS is already the outstanding college prep high school that Dublin needs, spreading false rumors about founders motives, threatening & intimidating Tassajara Prep supporters, spreading fear that Tassajara Prep will destroy Dublin HS, and so on. It’s classic Karl Rovian scare tactics and hate-mongering. It is effective at stirring up knee-jerk hysteria for a while, that is until people realize they are being misguided and misinformed.
Don’t be misled by the howls of protest from the vested interests. Keep in mind that the key indicator for a charter school launch is how many parents want to send their kids to the school, not how many people shout that it’s not needed. The louder the district and its henchman protest, the more obvious it becomes that the Tassajara Prep founders are doing something very important and it scares the bejeezus out of the district.
3:08 PM on July 21st, 2010
My kid is in Dougherty Elementary, she will go to Fallon for middle and then its end of the road for us in Dublin. 7 more years – hopefully rental market will improve so we can rent out our place and move to Pleasanton or San Ramon.
3:38 PM on July 21st, 2010
Dougherty Parent – Instead of moving to Pleasanton or San Ramon, why don’t you send your daughter to Tassajara Prep in 7 years? Last week I went to one of the open houses for the new LVCP charter high school in Livermore and it is going to be an amazing high school. It’s going to be much more like a private high school, with small class sizes and lots of individual attention from teachers and counselors. The kids will be taking college classes at LVCP in their junior and senior years. No more heavy textbooks to carry around, because they are all on the notebook computer that each student is given, plus an unlimited wireless data plan. I know some parents from Dublin and Pleasanton that have already signed up their kids for LVCP this fall. I think any prospective parent that learns about LVCP at the open house is going to want to get their kid into the school. My daughter is going to be an 8th grader at Fallon and I hope to send her to LVCP next year if there are positions available (Livermore students get first choice). My son is going to be a 10th grader at Dublin HS in the fall. We are not happy with Dublin HS, but he is too old for LVCP — 9th graders only in the first year. I spoke to the LVCP principal and he said Tassajara Prep is going to have the same innovative programs when it opens in 2012. Unfortunately Tassajara Prep is coming a year too late for my daughter and three years too late for my son. I think all Dublin parents should go to one of the LVCP open houses to learn what Tassajara Prep is going to be like, directly from the LVCP principal and teachers. You’ll be even more excited about Tassajara Prep if you go.
3:56 PM on July 21st, 2010
Tassajara Prep is not going to be big enough for all the students that will want to go there. I think they are only going to take 800 students. Last year Dougherty, Green and Fallon had over 1100 students in grades 1 thru 4. Plus there are over 900 students in grades 1 thru 4 in west Dublin. And there will probably be a lot more houses built in Dublin in the next 7 years, so there will probably be a lot more students then. When that 1st grade class reaches high school in 7 years, Tassajara Prep is going to have a big waiting list. You’ll have to win a lottery to get in. So Dougherty Mom may still want to move to Pleasanton or San Ramon.
4:01 PM on July 21st, 2010
Thanks for your input. I have high hopes with Tassajara Prep but seeing all the politics against it, I can only hope for it to open and function in due time. If it does, then it’d be just great.
4:06 PM on July 21st, 2010
I agree with your comments about LVCP. I have been to one of the open houses too.
On top of what you have said, I am very impressed by the high graduation requirements – higher than UC A-G. By setting the standards so high, you know that this is a high-standard college-prep school that aiming for Ivy League (or equivalent) universities.
In addition, I am also very impressed by the student counseling part. LVCP will keep the student/counselor ratio around 100:1, so each individual student will get a lot of attention from the counselor.
I recommend people who are interested in learning about LVCP and charter school in general go to one of the open houses. There is one more coming up soon.
4:26 PM on July 21st, 2010
I went to the LVCP open house too. I was impressed by the teachers’ passion and the amount of effort they are willing to put on each student and the school.
3:20 PM on July 21st, 2010
@Anonymous 3:08 – Have you checked Fallon Middle? You may have to move out earlier as I am not sure if that school is up to the mark either. Good for you your kid is in Dougherty, at least thats a great start.
6:59 PM on July 21st, 2010
3:08
Don’t scare me now at the 11th hour of our son heading to Fallon after a fantastic Green experince. What have you heard/seen/know?
7:49 PM on July 21st, 2010
I am not the one who posted the comment, but relatively new staff and the mix of elementary and middle may have something to do with it. The API results look good, almost 900. I would recommend to stay put through Fallon, and definitely get out of Dublin for high school.
10:35 AM on July 22nd, 2010
I am a bit disappointed that Fallon’s API is lower than our neighbors. East Dublin has similar demographics as our neighbors. There is not reason why it’s API can’t be just as high. If our middle school can’t measure up, how can our second high school.
11:59 AM on July 22nd, 2010
That is where the problem is, isn’t it? Why do the same students who can compete head-to-head with neighboring schools start to lag behind from the middle school? It is not about the students, it is not about the parents, it is not about the facilities, it is all about the current administration/teachers in Fallon. They are not doing a very good job. Who hires all of them? DUSD. Aha, that is where the problem is. Without DUSD, I think the charter school can do a much better job.
11:46 AM on July 23rd, 2010
I agree with you. Even in Green, I felt my son was not challenged enough. My son was in the second grade and I know my son’s math ability is very advanced and around the fourth grade level. He himself also told me he was the best in Math in the class. Yet, at the end of the school year, I got an evaluation score of “3″ for his math. I felt the teacher was either not even paying attention to his math ability or just not challenging the students (even the best) in Math at all. It was OK for the reading though.
3:05 PM on July 23rd, 2010
To the poster ” My son was in the second grade and I know my son’s math ability is very advanced and around the fourth grade level.”
Remember this is a public school..if you want your 2nd grader to do 4th grade level math, you need to think of Challenger type schools. Having said that, 2nd grade is a bit early to do 4th grade level. When my daughter was at Dougherty, it is around 4th grade level, that they have class groupings based on your ability. A bunch of kids were taking combo math classes with 5th graders..those were the kids who ended up taking algebra at 6th grade and geometry at 8th grade..some even went far ahead and took high school math classes from middle school. So the opportunity is there. You need to ask the teachers for upper level math opportunities. My guess is – it will come..just not at second grade level. Things will change at 4th/5th grade level where the students will take higher level math, based on their ability. As for ’3′ in grade, please that is just a number. It should not be based on a A/B/C level. Teachers have different criteria for math grading at second grade level. Presuming you have talked to the teacher, why she did not give a 4 (above grade) and it could be various other reasons than just getting a 10/10 in a second grade quiz. Also you can apply for GATE program from 2nd or 3rd grade..which automatically puts him in better classes in elementary school. At least that was what Dougherty elementary did.
9:39 AM on July 23rd, 2010
Rest assured – My child had a great experience at Fallon, she was challenged fairly, had mostly great teachers. Overall she learned what we expected from a public school. Some neighbors transferred to Hart/PMS/Windemere during middle school and said those schools were in no way different from Fallon. Like any school, you need to take the initiative..a lot is on Student’s independence and motivation. Fallon gave my child opportunity for CJSF, leadership, extra curricular, honors program, a good PE program. Some of the teachers left a lasting impression (yes, a few of them are so-so but overall the teacher quality is great)..there truly are outstanding teachers who care and who will help your motivated students to stay motivated and academically challenged. Honors/Advanced class teachers are the best. So far I have not had any negative experience ..yes..overall, she had a great experience with most teachers.
4:20 PM on July 22nd, 2010
why is the school supply list so specific?
who cares which brand or store you buy it from. do the schools get a kick back from these companies?
http://dusd.schoolwires.net/jds/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=275761
8:29 PM on July 22nd, 2010
This is great! I have lived in West Dublin for 7 years and almost have enough cash to move out of this poorly planned and development friendly crap hole of a town called Dublin and move to Pleasanton. I feel sorry for you folks who are underwater in East Dublin and wish you all the best for your new high-school. I hope it works out.
9:44 AM on July 23rd, 2010
Around Dublin blog is again resorting to ‘SAT scores tell the whole story’. I think they should concentrate on how to get TP past approval now that Alameda county has rejected it. It seems to be an unproductive means to stir up controversy. Stop it please ! you are preventing folks from moving to Dublin! Statistics have shown that if your child is motivated, they can do anything. Dublin HS can send a student to Stanford..as is very evident from this year. Yes, if your student prefers to hang with the other non-achievers, they can’t be helped anywhere. Also take it from me. A friend transferred to Foothill high last year and is very disappointed there with the teaching.
10:28 AM on July 23rd, 2010
Why do crazy anti-charter folks who claim to ignore the “garbage” produce by this website still commenting? I thought the boycott is still on? Or is it temporarily off since it’s summer break for the teachers and the admins? Of course, when they do comment, never do they attack the accuracy of the data presented or the validity of the methodology. Instead, they throw out platitudes like “Statistics have shown that if your child is motivated, they can do anything” or hearsay like “A friend transferred to Foothill high last year and is very disappointed there with the teaching”. Really? Is that DUSD’s best case AGAINST the charter?
People are not moving to Dublin or moving away because they have always known the school district to be inferior. This article only confirms what they knew to be true all along. High API scores will do nothing to help get your kids into a good college, but good AP exam scores and SAT scores will. Kudos to the website for not being part of the cover-up. Truth is a good thing.
10:35 AM on July 23rd, 2010
I am not anti-charter..If TP can come through, all well and good. Reality is they have not been successful in proving the need to Alameda county. I live in Dublin so anything that boosts property values is good for me. I choose not to ignore (and I did not say “garbage”)..I am saying these numbers are inaccurately portraying a worse picture of Dublin than it is. Please refrain from putting words in mouth without thoroughly reading the original post.
11:02 AM on July 23rd, 2010
Did I say you specifically used the word “garbage”? Now who’s misquoting who? Please learn to read and stop embarrassing yourself. If you follow a stupid child home, what do you find? That’s right, a stupid parent. Yes, keep reading, because I know you can’t help yourself.
Do you know why the charter folks were unsuccessful? LVCP was denied at the county level as well, so the fact that the county said no means nothing. What I would like to know is if the charter folks are going to submit the charter to the state or will they just merge TP with LVCP and be outside Dublin’s influence, since they’ve been selling LVCP as Dublin’s second high school and go from there. I hope that’s not the case, because many people would like to see a good high school within the Dublin border.
I don’t know if LVCP used these charts to prove that they needed a better high school option in Livermore, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how they got their charter approved. There is nothing inaccurate about these data, and it’s up to people to interpret the data and draw their own conclusions. The fact you recognize that a better high school in Dublin, not outside Dublin like LVCP, will boost your property value means that you are not completely brain dead, so perhaps there is hope for your child after all. Because the world does not need two generations of idiots running around. Please know I wrote everything with nothing but love in my heart, so no need to get offended.
12:02 AM on September 14th, 2010
I was told that Dublin high increased its API to 868, another big jump. Also about SAT scores, somewhere I read, dublin high 2010 kids made it to princeton, stanford and many of the UCs.
1:40 PM on September 14th, 2010
Can anyone from DUSD provide an exit survey on what colleges they are enrolled into for 2009-2010 Graduating Seniors? Thanks in advance.
12:39 AM on August 17th, 2010
The city of Dublin DOES NOT need a second high school. East Dublin is a newly built community (within the last 7 years) where the majority of children are elementary students who have at least 5 – 10 more years before enrolling in high school. Imagine in 7 years when the majority of these high calibar East Dublin students are forced to attend Dublin High School? Naturally test scores will increase tremendously.
Building a second high school on the east side is too risky especially with the current economic conditions. City council understands this and knows population growth in the east side has saturated. They should be questioning why they are building more elementary schools there now! Just look at all the housing and condo developments in the east side that can’t find residents to purchase these homes. The last thing a city wants is to 1) in the short term divide the city completely forcing 1 side to be rich and the other poor 2)invest even more in a new community that is not proven to be self sufficient through hard economic times.
6:40 PM on March 3rd, 2011
Is this website old and crusty? Any new articles? SAT scores are correlated with one thing, socioeconomic region. It’s not the test scores keeping the property values down, it’s the property values keeping the test scores down! Wealth is the single biggest factor in determining test scores. Why? Because the test is written for students who come from wealth. Dublin, what are you doing with your tax money you collected from the developers of Dublin Ranch? The developers of the project on Fallon? Sybase? Best Buy? Did you give them tax discounted land? Did you cut deals you’re ashamed of? Shiny new signs is a start, but you’re going to have to do better than that. Roads, bike ways, trails. It’s about quality of life if you want to attract wealth, and the quality of life in dublin is….. horizontal — It’s called Dublin Blvd. drive up it, drive down it. Why do you not have beautiful bike paths to BART? You opted for huge parking garges instead? Your priorities are out of wack. Emerald Glen Park, GREAT! now extend the trails all over, make this a town people can travers on bike or foot safely.
12:02 PM on April 20th, 2011
I see the needs and demands of another high school. But why the proposed charter school did not get any support from the community? I wanted to support them but there was no communication from the charter school while you got numerous support from the DHS communities. For kids who live in the east side, commuting to school is so hard. The city promised to pave a semi-highway to DHS but it never happened. Families are leaving Dublin because of the disappointment of DHS. Those people who think DHS is great because of their lower expectations. But comparing to our neighbors, Pleasanton, San Ramon etc, we are far behind.
3:21 PM on April 20th, 2011
Dear Anonymous,
You wrote “But why the proposed charter school did not get any support from the community?”
Tassajara Prep has had a LOT of support from east Dublin residents. I went to their booth at Day on the Glen a year and a half ago and it was packed with parents anxious to learn about Tassajara Prep and excited about the plan for a public high school in east Dublin. I recall the organizers reporting that they had hundreds of signups for their mailing list from supportive parents, and I would assume that each one of those signatures represented two parents and an average of two kids, so we are talking about many hundreds of supporters at that one event alone. I’ve also heard that they have received over 100 enrollment forms for prospective students. That’s a lot of support considering the amount of outreach the founders have done and how far in the future the school will actually open.
If you are lamenting the lack of supporters that spoke at the district’s hearing, you have a point, but if you support the need for Tassajara Prep, why didn’t YOU speak at the hearing? In actuality, it would have been a waste of your time. You can be guaranteed that no matter how many parents had spoken in favor of Tassajara Prep, the district and the board of trustees would have denied the petition. That’s why I didn’t bother to speak. The decision to deny was a foregone conclusion. It had nothing to do with public support. It had nothing to do with the quality of the charter petition. It had nothing to do with what’s best for Dublin’s students. It had everything to do with control, job security, and pride.
Green Father Dan
5:13 PM on April 20th, 2011
Further commentary…
The district is opposed to a charter high school in east Dublin no matter how much it is needed, no matter how many parents want it, and no matter how good its chances of success are. The district simply does not want the competition, naturally. It is not about what’s best for students; it is about power, ego and job security.
The more likely Tassajara Prep will be a success, the more opposed the district is. That’s why you are seeing such a big outcry of opposition from the district, Dublin High patriots, and OneDublinHighSchool zealots. The more they protest, the more it shows that they believe Tassajara Prep will be an outstanding high school and that it will make Dublin High and the district look bad in comparison. Why protest so loudly if you think Tassajara Prep will not succeed? When the district states in their findings that Tassajara Prep has little chance of success, and then they spend a huge amount of time and expense fighting it, that’s a clear sign that they actually believe it will be a big success, and that is something that clearly scares them.
I’ve said this in the past, but here it is again: Most of my fellow east Dublin residents that I’ve spoken to support Tassajara Prep, unless they already have kids at Dublin High, they or their kids graduated from Dublin High, their kids are too old to go to Tassajara Prep, or they have friends or relatives that are employed by the district. So if you disregard the people that have a vested interest in Dublin High or whose kids are not eligible for Tassajara Prep, a very high percentage of east Dublin residents support Tassajara Prep.
Green Father Dan
7:16 PM on April 20th, 2011
Evidently the Tassajara Prep petition has been withdrawn.
http://dublin.patch.com/articles/proposed-dublin-charter-school-appears-to-be-on-hold
8:55 PM on April 20th, 2011
finally tp founders realized their only supporter is green father john
11:43 PM on April 20th, 2011
AD team, is there going to be a follow up response for of this withdrawal?
11:38 PM on June 20th, 2011
When is Johnny gonna have the balls to say he failed with teePee?
6:50 AM on June 21st, 2011
Hi Anonymous – here’s a question for you. When are you going to stop and think about what is truly driving you to have such animosity towards Tassajara Prep and for some reason me? Clearly, Tassajara Prep will provide students in Dublin with a fantastic second option for high school. Why would you want to fight that?
I would love it if you could take your passion and intensity and put it towards something that is productive and beneficial to the community – like becoming a supporter for Tassajara Prep.
Take Care, John Z.